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Horse Shopping Rant!

Recently I read a sellers rant on here....this is a buyers rant.

OK....a friend asked me to help her find a young Appendix horse. She and I have known each other 20 years and she has seen my horses and the luck I have had finding and living with them. I love my appendix horses, NOT for AQHA, but USEF showing.

After spending the past month on the Internet looking could someone please explain to me the following:
Ads with pictures of a yearling and the horse is 3 yrs old.
Video links to youtube and the video is so dark all you see is the shadow of the horse.
Ads for 20K horses placed in the "free" section with no pictures or video link.
People telling you, well if he doesn't sell now I am going to show him at the futurities....Hey I didn't ask, I asked specific questions that you aren't answering....DUH.

Let me say that when I do email someone I let it be known I am a serious adult buyer, blah blah.

So bottom line.....in this economy don't people want to sell a horse? How about making sure the pictures are current, the vids are viewable, etc. Not everyone out there is a tire kicker. When I do write or call I tell the seller exactly what I am looking for. I do not say I am looking for a friend, so they take me seriously, etc.

I think horse shopping is the hardest when you know exactly what you want. I think a lot of horses get sold because the person looking isn't sure of what they want and then they meet a horse that seems like a good idea.

You'll find it. I've had my best luck with current publications (whatever is relevant for your area) and contacting breeders and trainers. Wading through the online listings is a hard slog. If someone doesn't reply, or doesn't answer questions, don't give them a second thought - you probably don't want to do business with them anyways.

Here's what bothers me but maybe it's just me. On our Craigslist here, there are always, ALWAYS ads from one certain seller, who advertises hunters/jumpers over $10,000 but never puts a picture. I'm not interested in purchasing any of their horses but I guess I just think a horse that is priced at over $10,000 should have a picture or a video. Maybe they don't do it purposely because they figure a serious buyer doesn't need a picture? IDK!!! It bugs me at any rate!!!

Here's what bothers me but maybe it's just me. On our Craigslist here, there are always, ALWAYS ads from one certain seller, who advertises hunters/jumpers over $10,000 but never puts a picture. I'm not interested in purchasing any of their horses but I guess I just think a horse that is priced at over $10,000 should have a picture or a video. Maybe they don't do it purposely because they figure a serious buyer doesn't need a picture? IDK!!! It bugs me at any rate!!!

First....To be perfectly blunt I never look at Craiglist for a horse for sale. I find too many weirdos there for lots of other stuff, LOL

We are willing to go ANYWHERE in the USA for a horse...even Canada....for the right horse.

Thats what makes this even more fristrating....why advertize a horse and not represent him well if you want to sell the horse?

My friend has cash in hand. I have bought through breeders myself by my favorite breeders don't have what she is looking for at present.

I just contacted someone about a horse, who seemed excited wanted to set a time for me to come and ride such horse, and also set up more riding time if I so wanted. So excited, great... well then seller just disappears off the face of the earth...never answers or gets back... um dont you want to sell your horse?
I sent a polite e-mail saying I was still interested but I understand if she decided to keep the horse or if it had already been sold, I just wanted to know... still nothing... ugh! oh well, maybe I dodged a bullet?

It's just the joy of horse shopping. Some people are just stupid. Some of people are even more stupid about computers and digital cameras.

My favorite experience horse shopping was when I drove 2 hours to look at a horse to discover I wasn't allowed to test ride it, even though the owner said I could before I left my house. This was someone who really wanted to sell otherwise the horse was going to auction the following month.

[QUOTE=showhorsegallery;4750317]It's just the joy of horse shopping. Some people are just stupid. Some of people are even more stupid about computers and digital cameras.

My favorite experience horse shopping was when I drove 2 hours to look at a horse to discover I wasn't allowed to test ride it, even though the owner said I could before I left my house. This was someone who really wanted to sell otherwise the horse was going to auction the following month.[/QUOTE

A trainer friend's client was buying a horse...set up the pre purchase and the woman got hysterical and decided she could not part with dear horsie after all was put into play , sigh.
Horse shopping is not fun
So does anyone have any nice appendix horses?

I think someone should write a horse selling and buying etiquette book! They could be the Emily Post of the horse world.

I recently was shopping for two AO hunters and it was SUCH a headache. I am forever grateful that I had my trainer to weed out bunches and bunches of horses (commission is well earned IMO) I agree with the person who said it is harder when you know exactly what you are looking for. I didn't think that my criteria was that picky, but perhaps it was: at least 16'2, perhaps would look at a big bodied 16'1 horse (I'm tall and ALL leg, and while I am not overweight, I am by no means a stick person either. 145lbs at 5'8.), has a season in the juniors or AO's under their belt and a season in the first years or second years is a bonus, could care less about color, one of them had to be an excellent mover.

People never cease to amaze me these days! We went to look at one horse that was advertised to us as 16'1 and big bodied. Video was hard to tell how big it was becuase the person riding was pretty small (and this was at a BNT barn). After my trainer stressed the size criteria and was reassured that the horse was 16'1 big bodied, we made the trip. Got there and it was AT MOST 15'2 on a good day. And then it was, "well since you are here you should sit on it". I looked like an overgrown kid trying to get one more season out of their large pony. rediculous. I also got thrown on an eq horse that "could go in the hunter ring". Well sure, anything can GO in the hunter ring. "But it's been to all the finals!"

I have many other stories but I have gone a bit off topic!

OP: I tried to remind myself to be patient and keep looking at anything and everything. Something will turn up.

I think people would read it. A lot of people do sort of one-sey two-sey horse buying and selling and would really be interested in reading about it.

I want to buy a horse in the next six months and since it's a buyer's market, I want to really look around and get a sense of what my budget will get me. BUT I don't want to be an annoying tire kicker.

I'd love to find a "How do you politely shop for a horse?" wiki type thing! What is the difference between a tire kicker and somebody who is really taking their time to find the right horse?

I think someone should write a horse selling and buying etiquette book! They could be the Emily Post of the horse world.

I recently was shopping for two AO hunters and it was SUCH a headache. I am forever grateful that I had my trainer to weed out bunches and bunches of horses (commission is well earned IMO) I agree with the person who said it is harder when you know exactly what you are looking for. I didn't think that my criteria was that picky, but perhaps it was: at least 16'2, perhaps would look at a big bodied 16'1 horse (I'm tall and ALL leg, and while I am not overweight, I am by no means a stick person either. 145lbs at 5'8.), has a season in the juniors or AO's under their belt and a season in the first years or second years is a bonus, could care less about color, one of them had to be an excellent mover.

People never cease to amaze me these days! We went to look at one horse that was advertised to us as 16'1 and big bodied. Video was hard to tell how big it was becuase the person riding was pretty small (and this was at a BNT barn). After my trainer stressed the size criteria and was reassured that the horse was 16'1 big bodied, we made the trip. Got there and it was AT MOST 15'2 on a good day. And then it was, "well since you are here you should sit on it". I looked like an overgrown kid trying to get one more season out of their large pony. rediculous. I also got thrown on an eq horse that "could go in the hunter ring". Well sure, anything can GO in the hunter ring. "But it's been to all the finals!"

I have many other stories but I have gone a bit off topic!

OP: I tried to remind myself to be patient and keep looking at anything and everything. Something will turn up.

Years ago before youtube if it was within 3 hours I told the person....if I drive out there and the horse is not the size you say it is you do't want to be within 10 feet of me when I see him and you don't want potential customers to be around me either....so please do not lie. This seemed to work

The classifieds sites online are a real mixed bag. I am not even going to call about a horse if there's no picture. And a picture of said horse grazing in the distance is no use at all. At a minimum I want a basic conformation shot! Just standing there on a halter and lead is great - gives me a lot of info to start with. And photos of the horse working do show a lot - the expression, the rider's expression. Video is even better.

But that said, I am finding I have been happier so far going to sales barns, professionals and dealers than dealing with Miss Suzy from Craigslist on some back road with a horsey for sale. Both are equally likely to tell me tall tales about the horse's mysterious past and abilities. But at least at a sales barn I can get right to the point, the appointment won't be canceled, it won't turn out that Miss Suzy maybe doesn't really want to sell the horse, etc. At a professional place I see the horse jogged, see it ridden, ride it, next, next, next and not waste time.

If I'm going to drive two or three hours I'd rather see 3 or 4 horses than just one. Improves the odds a bit!

I agree also with the fact that its hard when you know what you want. I am still looking for a quality baby green horse. I'm sure some sellers think that I am a tire kicker because I'm only going to go try a horse if I like the video so alot of horses get marked off the list that way. I know exactly what type I'm looking for and if thats not the horse in the video then no thanks. I feel like the only way I'm going to find something I want is to tack 20k on my price but thats so not going to happen.

I remember someone who went to show to see horse in o/f classes and then try him. Everything went great - buyer was going to arrange ppe when was told the owner upped the price $10K. Some people are just mean..

Guess it depends on where you look and how willing the people are to get you the video you want to see.

I know if someone e-mails me on one of my horses and they want a fresh video....I pull out the flip....go video what they would like to see and get the e-mail back to them within a matter of a half hour. (If daylight allows)

I'm trying to sell my horse and most people are NOT driving distance away....I am going to try and make them as comfortable as possible before they make the choice to come.